A COLOUR DARKER THAN BLACK CHAPTER ONE
by Migi
Summary: The second Chapter to the Origanal Writing that relates to Wolf's Rain. I hope you like it.


1

CHAPTER ONE

'Annabelle Charlton! What are you doing, young lady?'

Miss Brunst rode over to Annabelle, a look of absolute rage on her fat face. Her small black eyes looked extremely tiny and her nose was slender and pointed upwards. Annabelle hated her, like everyone else in the school. She was the only daughter of Mrs Chronicles, the middle-aged Deputy Headmistress.

'Sorry Miss, I was looking at the-'

'Silence, Miss Charlton! You know not to go in there, those woods are not school grounds!' she reared up her mere and turned her around, 'Come now. Let's go back to the Polo class'

Annabelle whipped her tall brown steed and they trotted after her, her shoulder-length hair flying out behind her in a wave of crimson colour. Annabelle tossed a last glance back at the woods, wondering why they were no longer allowed to use them. It had been like that for a week now. The date was Friday, the twenty-third of April, year two thousand and six. The Lost Woods were a group of dark and rotten trees that the girls of Simon College were usually allowed to use for polo lessons and break times, not any more obviously.

They rejoined the rest of the girls, who were all chatting and patting their horses on the necks. Annabelle rode over to her friends, who were all in a group, chatting. Her best friend, Sophia, was smiling at her as she approached.

'Hi, Annabelle. Did Mrs Brunst tell you off very much?'

Annabelle tossed her a smile, flashing a metal brace. Annabelle loved her friend very much. Sophia was a beautiful girl, with her hair to her waist in perfect blonde curls. Her eyes were the same colour as Annebelle's, urban brown, and they both spent most their time around each other's homes. They were the best friends in the world. Simon College was a posh and expensive school for young ladies. Most of them were ill-tempered and hard working, there were the odd hundred who were nice and sweet tempered. Not Annabelle, and definitely not Sophia. They had time for after-school lessons and school council meetings. Annebelle's father was a lawyer and her mother was a nurse. Annabelle wanted to become as they were now. Perfect.

'Miss Charlton! Miss Bake! Stop talking this instant!' Miss Brunst yelled from the front of the group of girls.

Annabelle answered Sofia's question with a shake of her head. Sophia nodded back then they listened to Miss Brunst, thinking of what things they could do after school.

After Polo, the girls got changed in to their school uniforms and waited for the bell to go to end school. Annabelle was pleased to be out of her polo trousers. The tight seams cut into her legs and left markings. As she was getting changed into her high-heels, she caught part of a conversation on the other side of the changing rooms. She stood still and listened to there talk.

'That did not happen!' gasped one girl.

'Yes, it did. They found her body in a cave in those ugly woods by the field. They say she was rapped then murdered' said another girl.

Annabelle knew the voice.

It was Camellia Hopper, someone who Annabelle found rude and very pushy. Annabelle had run into Camilla on the first day in Simon College. They had hated each other very much, since they both got into a fight in the canteen. Annabelle sat down on the wooden bench, quietly and listened more, wanting to know about this dead woman in the Lost Woods. Was this why they were closed?

'How do you know, Camilla? How do you know?' said another girl.

'Well think, you stupid girl! It happened last Sunday, and that's why the woods are not for use. If the killer's out there then he'll be in the woods!' Camellia replied rudely.

Annabelle shook her head in disbelief and picked up her polo suit. No way, she thought in absolute horror, no one would kill any one around here. She threw her rucksack over her shoulder and walked around the corner, adjusting her red school tie. She walked straight into Camellia, falling to the floor with a thud. She looked up at her enemy, a look of complete calmness on her face.

'Oh look girls, it's the red headed wonder! You got told off today, didn't you?' Camellia teased, giving Annabelle a very unpleasant grin on her brown face.

Camellia was a dark girl from China. Her long black hair was always tied back into a ponytail and her blue school uniform was always short. Her blue jacket was tied around her waist and her skirt was rolled up. Annabelle got to her feet, embarrassed by all the girls in the changing room staring at her. To Annebelle's relief, the bell went and all the girls left the sweet smelling room, leaving Annabelle with Camellia and her two friends, Katie and Jose.

'I have to go now to do my piano lessons' Annabelle said with a smile, cold not warm.

Annabelle loved her piano lessons. She had them every Friday after school for an hour. She strode past Camilla, tucking her polo uniform into her blue plastic

carrier bag. She opened the changing room doors and walked out across the sunny grounds. All the students were shouting and talking loudly. Some even had their boyfriends in the school grounds. Even at seventeen, Annabelle had never been out on a date with anyone in her life. She always thought she was too young to get involved with love yet.

She walked up to a large grey building. It was a very old building, and Annebelle's mother had said that it had been there since she was a young student. It was the music quarters, and it was where Annabelle had her lessons with Mr Kiro Keswick. He was a young teacher of twenty-three, as

Annabelle had discovered by looking through some papers on his desk while he was out of his classroom.

Mr Keswick was very handsome, amber-blue eyes and a neat, friendly smile. Sophia had teased her once by saying that she was in love with Mr Keswick. Annabelle strongly denied it, as she had never fallen in love.

She knocked on the door of dark oak and waited for a reply. She knew he would just pamper her and say that she was always welcome into his office. Her brown eyes met Mr Keswick's as soon as he opened the door. He smiled suddenly and opened the door fully to let his student enter.

'Annabelle! You know you can always come in here. No need to knock!' he chuckled, his boyish voice light and kind.

'Thank you, Sir' she said.

Even though he had been teaching her for three months, she was till shy of him, and tender to her words. She heard the click of the door and she sat down at the grand piano on the east wall of the room. The sun streamed in and the sunlight danced upon the shinny surface of the piano. Annabelle thought a piano as human, like herself. It was beautiful and erotic, a wonderful instrument.

'Take your seat, Annabelle' Mr Keswick offered kindly, walking up behind her.

She hurriedly walked to the piano and sat upon the stool. The comfy padded seat was lovely. Mr Keswick walked to his desk, searching the paper-filled tabletop for something. Annabelle looked at him, studying him. His long blonde hair was loose, falling down his manly broad shoulders and his slender back. His cheekbones were high and very masculine, but his face was perfect, it was slender and pale, like the rest of him. His amber-blue eyes were kind and sweet as they searched the desk. Annabelle felt herself blush, but continued to stare at him. His black pinstriped suit was pressed and perfect. As he turned to her and walked back, she noticed how tall he was and how slim. His white shirt and black tie were neat with his suit and he was the most wonderful gentleman she had ever met, apart from her father.

'We'll do the Midnight Sonata. Can you do this one?' he asked, placing a sheet in front of Annabelle and looking at her creamy face with his eyes.

Annabelle smiled and placed her delicate fingers upon the keys, and started to play. She became lost in the slow, continuance music that she was playing. The black and white notes faded into nothingness as she listened to her own magic, slowly beating away. Her brown eyes closed and she gave a delicate sigh. Midnight Sonata was her favourite piano piece. She was lost in it and knew it very well. She was just about to repeat it for the umpteenth time, in her slow pace of music, when Mr Keswick touched her arm.

'Oh!' she cried, opening her maroon eyes and stopping on the keys.

'It's okay, Annabelle. You can stop now' he whispered, his hand coming off her slender arm.

She looked at the red clock on the wall. She only had half and hour of her lesson left. She looked at the tall man next to her, a red colour on her face.

'I'm sorry for wasting the lesson, Kiro. I-'

He gave a small smile, his beautiful white teeth shining slightly. She blushed again, going even redder. Her hair was now the same colour as her face. Her hands trembled as he sat next to her.

'How do you know my name?' he asked lightly.

'I... I was looking through you're a papers once and I found some information on a sheet. I am sorry for invading your personal space, Mr Keswick' Annabelle looked away from him, a hand trembling through her red hair and a huge impulse of fear in her veins.

'No ... It's okay, Annabelle. I will forgive you' he said gently, touching her arm again.

Annabelle turned her head and looked at him hand that lay upon her arm. His manly fingers were medium, in between slender and thick. Very talented, as Annabelle knew they were, especially when playing the piano. She smiled and looked up at him. Mr Keswick smiled back just as warmly, still laying his hand upon her arm. He had grown to love Annabelle very much.

The sun had gone down and Annebelle's time was going to fade. She stood up and walked over to her things, picking them up. She put her denim jacket on, Mr Keswick walked over to her, his hands in his pockets. She turned to him, a small smile on her face.

'Goodnight, Mr Keswick' she said.

'Goodnight, Annabelle. And please, call me Kiro' he said gently.

She nodded and opened the door. He had never asked anyone in his classes to call him that, and she felt privileged. She looked back at him and waved goodbye. She walked down the corridor, only hearing the noise of her shoes upon the floor. She clutched her bag in her hands and listened to herself breathing. Just as she went to touch the handle of the door, there was a slithery voice. A cold sensation swooped over her, causing goose bumps. It wasn't the wind.

_Annabelle... Annabelle... Help me, my friend... they killed me... The Wolf... _

Annabelle stood there, scared to move and terrified to breathe. It was a voice, but it was hard to tell what sex it was. It was a crying sound, like a weeping child. She opened the door and walked off down the grounds of the school. She was sure that it was one of the students playing a trick on her. She flushed angrily to think that it was Camilla and her cronies. Her pace quickened as she came to the school playground, the woods could be seen. In the distance, dressed in. a long white dress, a figure stood. Annabelle rubbed her eyes and squinted again.

No student was allowed into the woods, and if they did, they'd be in big trouble. Annabelle looked around. No one was around, so she walked onto the grass a few steps and stopped again, still clutching her bag. She could see, even though she was far away, a person. Their hair was a dark colour and it blew about in the winds. They were facing towards the Lost Woods. Annabelle licked her dry lips and took a deep breath.

'Hey... Excuse me. You're not allowed on this ground! It's been banned!' Annabelle shouted lightly across the field.

As if deaf, the figure walked closer and closer to the woods. It disappeared through the trees, only vaguely seen.


End file.
